Wen Yang thought there might be something wrong with him.

Or maybe something was wrong with Ning Chu.

Could it be because he'd been hanging around Ning Chu ever since the semester started? He was starting to feel like Ning Chu's lackey. Whenever he did something against Ning Chu's wishes, he felt inexplicably guilty and uneasy.

“Wen Yang! Grab me some food! I’m going upstairs to check on Black Bean first!”

Military training had just ended. A moment ago, Ning Chu had looked so listless he might faint at any second. Now he swept past Wen Yang like a gust of wind and sprinted off the field.

Wen Yang stood there stunned, then took off his cap and muttered, “He’s not coming to the cafeteria with me today, then.”

“Shaoqing, heading to the cafeteria?”

“Wang Jie and I already ordered takeout.”

“All right.”

He was used to eating with Ning Chu, used to having a little shadow trailing behind him. Going to the cafeteria alone all of a sudden felt kind of lonely.

Without Ning Chu around, he wouldn’t even know how to turn down a girl if one came over to pester him.

A little downcast, Wen Yang put his hands in his pockets and strolled toward the cafeteria. He thought about the dishes Ning Chu usually ordered, while trying to figure out how to make the little money he had last through the week.

He’d been fairly frugal, but it was his first time at college, with money he could spend however he liked. He’d inevitably spent a little too much.

The cafeteria was as lively as ever after military training had ended. A large crowd of students in training uniforms queued at the serving counters. Wen Yang got his food alone and found an empty corner to sit in.

A serving of shredded pork with green peppers, and rice topped with vegetable broth,

“Doesn’t Ning Chu order tomato and egg stir-fry every time?”

“And what should I get for the cat to eat...”

He was talking to himself when a wave of heavy fragrance suddenly drifted over. A smiling girl sat down beside him.

Wen Yang didn’t even look up. The moment he caught that cloying, overpowering perfume, he knew it wasn’t Ning Chu.

“Wen Yang~ Our club is really great! Once freshman military training is over, we’re planning to rent a villa for a club event over the weekend! There’ll be lots of pretty girls there!”

Wen Yang glanced at the girl beside him.

“Don’t worry, it won’t cost you a thing. Our club president’s from a wealthy family—she’ll cover the whole get-together!”

The school had started recruiting for its clubs last week, and somehow this girl had gotten hold of his contact information. She’d been pestering him online every day to join.

This time, she’d come straight to him in person.

Wen Yang was actually pretty interested in college clubs. The problem was, a club called the “Sleep Club” didn’t sound very serious.

“I’m not really interested in joining a club,” he said, politely turning her down again. “I’m not much for get-togethers.”

“Get-togethers are important! College isn’t just about studying. You need to widen your social circle. Once you start working, you’ll be glad to have connections from college, right? And you can’t just stay in the dorm every weekend. Going out with the club and taking part in activities is good experience, too.”

He knew she had a point, and his expression grew hesitant.

He rubbed his temples with a sigh, set down his chopsticks, and asked helplessly, “Why do you keep coming after me? There are plenty of freshmen who haven’t joined a club yet.”

“Our Sleep Club was only founded this year! We’re really short on members!”

Were their club activities just a few—or a few dozen—people going out to the field on a quiet afternoon to nap in the sun on the grass?

And was their villa party just a chance to enjoy the experience of sleeping in a villa?

Wen Yang really couldn’t understand what the club was for. “How many members do you have already?”

“Five! They’re all girls! We’ve invited some other people, too. There should be around ten of us, right?”

Did girls these days really like sleeping that much?

“All right, all right. Stop bothering me.” The girl’s eyes sparkled with expectation, and Wen Yang waved her off with a headache. “I still have to eat.”

“Yay! Don’t forget the get-together this weekend!”

“...”

Watching the girl run off in high spirits, Wen Yang’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t understand how these people’s minds worked.

After eating, he packed up a portion for Ning Chu, then bought a carton of goat’s milk and a boiled egg for Black Bean.

As soon as he opened the dorm room door, he turned his head and saw Ning Chu crouching in the corner by the wall, teasing the cat.

“Black Bean~ Black Bean? Come on, pay attention to me!”

Ning Chu was already smaller and thinner than most guys. Squatting down made him look even tinier, so Wen Yang instinctively slowed his steps, as though he might accidentally step on him if he wasn’t careful.

“Your lunch.”

At the sound of a voice behind him, Ning Chu realized Wen Yang was back. He turned and looked up at him with a smile. “You didn’t buy me a bunch of stuff I don’t like, did you?”

“No. It should all be stuff you like.”

Bracing himself on his knees, Ning Chu stood up with a broad smile and came over to take the takeout box from Wen Yang. Then he suddenly stopped, furrowed his brows, and sniffed a few times.

Wen Yang’s expression froze.

Ning Chu stared at him suspiciously, sniffing as he leaned closer. He caught a faint trace of perfume on Wen Yang’s sleeve.

“...”

Wen Yang backed up two steps until his back hit the dorm door. He had nowhere left to go, but Ning Chu kept closing in, like a cat, until his nose was almost touching Wen Yang’s collar.

“Whoa~ I was gone to the bathroom for a minute. What’d I miss?”

Zhang Shaoqing came back from the balcony. The moment he walked in, he saw Ning Chu pinning Wen Yang against the wall.

“No! His perfume is really strong...” Ning Chu gave a quiet snort. “It’s awful. The perfume mixed with his sweat stinks to high heaven.”

“Does it?”

“Don’t believe me? Come smell it yourself.”

“Can it really be that bad?”

Zhang Shaoqing immediately perked up. He eagerly trotted over and joined Ning Chu in pinning Wen Yang against the wall.

Wen Yang was trapped in the dorm doorway, sandwiched between two guys—Ning Chu on his left and Zhang Shaoqing on his right. His expression grew more and more awkward.

“Damn! That’s some cheap perfume. Go take a shower already!”

“Exactly!” Ning Chu nodded his little head rapidly. “It smells just like the perfume people wear on buses.”

Good thing he’d reacted quickly, or they’d have mistaken him for a gay guy again.

Wang Jie glanced back at the three of them and silently grumbled, “What a bunch of weird roommates...”

“Fine, fine. I’m going to shower.”

Wen Yang had no choice but to head to the wardrobe and grab some clothes for the bathroom. Wang Jie looked at the other two, still talking about the perfume, and couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Hey! Wait a second!”

“What?”

“Let me smell it, too!”

“???”

What kind of idiots were these?!

Wen Yang ignored them and walked straight out of the dorm with his clothes.

Once Wen Yang had left, Ning Chu yawned and glanced at Black Bean exploring a whole new world in the corner of the dorm. He picked up his takeout, went back to his desk, and sat down. Then he put on a TV show and ate lunch while watching.

His brows furrowed, and he could barely eat.

All he’d done was let Wen Yang go eat at the cafeteria alone, and the guy had gone flirting with girls again! Couldn’t he stay out of trouble for even a minute?